


See The Other Side

by overlycompensatedapprentice



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: I'm weak for this circus fam, Other, anyway i live for protective! circus fam, caroline and helen are phillips little sisters fight me, i hate them, like its just phillips parents progressively sucking more and more, phillip's parents suck, so ill post those, soon, there's a part 2 and part 3 (ish) to this, theres lots of dad pt and mothering charity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 06:08:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13583898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overlycompensatedapprentice/pseuds/overlycompensatedapprentice
Summary: Phillip's parents come to the circus to try to drag him back to high society: Phillip's circus fam has his back





	See The Other Side

The show had been a wild success, as usual, and the post-show adrenaline rush was just beginning. Everyone was laughing, drinking and celebrating backstage, and many a compliment and high five had been awarded to Phillip for a job well done. 

But there was something even more special abuzz tonight. Tonight, for the first time in a few months, P.T. Barnum had returned to the circus to see his old family, and he had brought Charity and the girls with him.

Phillip found them all there, the Barnums standing with Anne and W.D. all had proud smiles on their faces. W.D. had disliked Phillip at first, chalking him up to be more like his parents than anyone at the circus, but after the fire, W.D. had sought out Phillip more often, the first time to thank him, and the next to ask if he wanted to grab drinks, now the two were good friends. 

W.D. greeted him first, enthusiastically telling him that he had done an excellent job, and that he hadn’t seen a protester that night. That was good. Phillip had been trying hard to keep the protesters away from the show, so nothing like what had happened that dreadful night at the fire ever happened again. 

Anne greeted him with a kiss. “Amazing job as usual, darling,” she couldn’t wipe the enthusiastic smile off her face as she pulled away. The post show rush of joy was infectious to every performer. “You are quite the showman. The crowds seemed to adore you even more tonight than they usually do.” 

Phillip blushed just a little bit at that. “Thank you,” he said, trying to sound modest, but he was just as enthusiastic and proud as the rest of them. The show had gone well, and he was sure that they had done Phineas proud. That was all that mattered. 

The Barnum girls had contained their excitement long enough for Phillip to greet W.D. and Anne, but they couldn’t contain themselves any longer. They were next, nearly knocking Phillip down as they leapt into his arms, both girls wrapped around his neck. 

“Phillip!” Caroline said. “You were so amazing I can’t believe it!” 

“You’re even better than dad!” Helen screamed at the same time. 

Phillip laughed. “I learned from the best,” he told them. “And then added a few tricks of my own.” He reached into his pockets and fished out two pieces of candy. “Now, these are for you two.”

Both girls hugged Phillip even tighter, squeezing his neck. He really didn’t mind, though. The girls’ charm and enthusiasm delighted him to no end. 

“Thank you!” Both girls squealed in delight, right in Phillip’s ears. 

“Girls, girls, let him breathe, don’t strangle him.” Charity Barnum laughed as she gently extracted Phillip from the girls’ embrace, before hugging him herself. “They’re right, though. You did an absolutely wonderful job. Enthusiastic, charismatic. I could see your eyes shining from the balcony.” 

Phillip was practically glowing from all the praise now. He loved what he did though, the circus gave him a purpose in life that he would not have found otherwise. Phillip waited for Phineas to say how he liked it, eager to win the approval of the man who had not only given him the circus, and by extension, something to live for, but had given him a home, a real family, and had saved his life.

“Now, Chairy, don’t inflate his ego too much,” Phineas winked at Phillip. “I don’t think I could have left the circus in better hands, my boy. You do me proud. And you deserve every bit of praise that’s been given to you. Just don’t let it go to your head.” 

Phillip nodded, giving Phineas a dazzling smile. If Phineas thought that he had done well, that meant that there was no one who could convince him that tonight’s show had not been a success. “Do you want to come join me and the others? We were going to properly celebrate tonight’s show. Charity and the girls are more than welcome as well.” 

“We would be delighted,” said Phineas, tipping his hat with the flair that had created all this. 

Phillip led the way to where the rest of the performers had gathered, expertly making his way around all the scattered equipment and costumes. He was looking forward to a night of celebration and fun. 

Two very familiar faces awaited him by the door. The last two people in the world Phillip wanted to see. 

“Phillip,” said his father coldly, his voice full of obvious anger. “May we talk?” 

Phillip’s mother stood beside him, she said nothing. Phillip couldn’t help noticing that the talk and laughter had died down when his father had spoken. Anne put a hand on his arm, but he squeezed it, reassuring her that everything would be fine. 

“Whatever you wish to say,” Phillip said, strolling up to them bravely. “Say it.” He wished that his father’s tone didn’t send a chill down his spine. He tried to tell himself that what they said would make no difference. The circus was his home now, and that would not change. It wasn’t what they said that would make a difference, but what about what they might do to him. To his friends. He stopped in front of his parents. “Well?” 

“You don’t belong here,” Phillip’s father said firmly. “You belong in the best parts of town, not here by the docks, spending all your time with this rabble. And I see that you still haven’t come to your senses about the girl. It’s time to leave them Phillip, and come back to what is your rightful place.”

“My rightful place?” Phillip shot back. “You mean back to the bar, to the drinking, to the misery? Back to the world without joy? I’ll have to pass, thanks.” 

The circus was dead silent now, every set of eyes watching the battle between father and son play out. They all had confident smiles on their faces, trying to show Phillip that they believed in him no matter what. His parents’ words could not hurt them. Phillip was grateful. He didn’t think that he would be able to be so brave without them there to back him up. 

“Phillip,” his mother said, speaking for the first time. “You’re being ridiculous.You are a part of the Carlyle family. Come home, and don’t be a fool.” 

Phineas actually moved this time, not speaking, but he came close to Phillip and laid a supporting hand on his shoulder. Everyone else moved in a bit closer, too, almost surrounding him. It made his mother’s words a little easier to bear, and the looks on his parents’ faces were priceless. 

“Go home?” Phillip said easily. Now that he spoke the words he realized he’d been wanting to say them aloud to his parents for a long time. “Mother, I am home. This is my family, and you will not control me any longer. Now, please, go. You’re the ones being ridiculous.” 

It should have ended right there. 

 

Phillip turned on his heel and made to walk away, but his father’s hand shot out and seized his wrist, turning him around. Phillip felt a white-hot spike of fear rip through his heart. Anne audibly gasped, trying to figure out how to help him. 

“How dare you speak to us like that,” his father snapped. “You will come home.” 

Phillip tried to break free, but his father’s grip was strong. The rest of the circus moved forward now, surrounding Phillip, eyes blazing with anger. They made it very clear that they didn’t like what was happening, and that it needed to stop before someone got punched in the face. 

Phineas, who had not said anything so far, decided that things had gone far enough. He took a step forward. “Let him go.” When Phillip’s father didn’t comply, Phineas grabbed his arm and forced Phillip’s father to unhand his son. After Phillip was free, Phineas drew the boy behind him. “Sir, I think this has gone on long enough. Phillip has made his answer quite clear. I will ask you only once, leave.”

“How dare you circus freaks treat us this way,” Phillip’s father said, as if trying to intimidate them would work. “It’s bad enough you all corrupted him.” 

Lettie scoffed at that. The insult had been thrown their way for so long now that it no longer had any effect on them at all. “I think you’ll find that your son can think for himself, and if he doesn’t want to come with you, which very clearly he doesn’t,  
you got no business trying to force him back to your snobbish lives.”

W.D. stepped forward too, scowling, fixing Phillip’s parents with the same death glare he had given Phillip when they had first met. “The fact that you’re trying to force him says a lot, I think,” he snapped. “We all know how you treat him and what you think of us. We get it. Now, if you would leave my friend alone, I’d appreciate it.” 

Phillip was still trying to calm himself down, trying to ignore the fear and confusion that he had not felt in so long now. He was practically using the rest of the circus as a shield now, and squeezing Anne’s hand for comfort as hard as he possibly could.

Before Phillip’s parents could utter another insult, Caroline and Helen managed to free their way out of Charity’s hold. “He’s our brother,” said Helen, crossing her arms in front of her chest and glaring defiantly at his parents. “You can’t take him away.”

Caroline, who was a little more proper than her sister considering the time she spent with other little girls of the same class as Phillip’s parents, forgot all her manners in that moment. “He doesn’t want to go with you! You make him upset!” she shouted at them, louder than anyone there had heard her yell. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!” 

Phillip’s parents looked appalled. Charity crossed to stand with her daughters, she looked angrier than Phillip had ever seen her. “Excuse the manners of my girls,” She said with obviously faked politesse. Then her tone changed to icy rage. “But they’re right, and so are the others. You can’t force him to do this, and the way you treat our boy is inexcusable. So in an echo of Caroline, leave him alone.” 

“Our boy?” Phillip’s mother asked, sounding incredulous. “He isn’t your son, he’s a Carlyle, and he belongs with us, not you, your scoundrel husband and this troop of freaks.”

“What?” Anne spoke up now. “And you think kidnapping him is going to solve what you think is your problem? Make him want to be your perfect Carlyle boy? He belongs wherever the hell he wants to belong, and obviously that isn’t with you. So get out, before our family gets tired of the way you’re treating one of our own, and decide to do something about it.” 

She turned towards Phillip then, and kissed him slowly, in full view of his parents, to prove that no matter what they or anyone like them thought, Phillip could be happy without them, and love whoever he wanted to love, be whoever he wanted to be. 

“You see?” Phillip said. “I have a family: friends, parents, sisters, and Anne. and I don’t need or want to come crawling back to the rich, snobbish, miserable life you live. And I think we would all appreciate it if you never came again. Good. Bye.” 

Phillip’s father looked like he was going to say something more, but a look passed between his parents. “You’ll come back one day,” his father said confidently. “You’ll realize that this isn’t the life you want and come back to your senses. We will show ourselves out.”

He took Phillip’s mother’s arm, and they made their way back to wherever they had come from, leaving the circus in complete silence. The tension was thick in the air, and Phillip didn’t know what to say to any of them. How to thank them for defending him. 

Phineas broke the silence first. “Phillip, are you alright?” 

“I...I don’t know,” said Phillip quietly. He wished that his parents’ visit had not affected him, but when his father had grabbed him, it had shaken him more deeply than he cared to admit. He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, it isn’t something we need to talk about.” He glanced at the girls, wishing that they had not seen any of that. “Are you two alright?”

“Fine,” Caroline said. 

“We’re okay, Phillip,” Helen agreed. 

“And of course it matters,” Charity said gently. “Your parents have absolutely no right to treat you like that. We weren’t just going to let it happen.” 

Phillip nodded slowly. He knew that Charity had a point, but it was hardly a discussion he wanted to have in front of the entire circus. They were all his family, but he was supposed to be leading them, not having a breakdown. 

“Charity’s right, Phillip,” Lettie agreed, coming up to put her arm around him. “We weren’t going to leave you at the mercy of your parents. That would be cruel.” 

Phillip pulled himself out of her hold, needing a little bit of breathing space at the moment. He gave her an apologetic look, hoping that she understood why he did that. “I know, I know,” he said. “Thank you guys.”

Lettie seemed to understand perfectly, even taking an extra step back so he didn’t feel as crowded. “You don’t have to thank us, Phillip. It’s what family is for.”

“She’s right,” W.D. agreed. “And for what it’s worth, you couldn’t be farther from your parents.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Phillip said with half a smile.  
W.D. nodded. “My sis made a good choice, picking you out of the crowd.” 

Phillip’s smile widened a little bit. Having W.D’s approval for his relationship with Anne meant a lot to him. At least her family thought that they were right for each other. That was enough for him. 

“You’re damn right I did.” Anne’s dazzling smile lit up the room as she slid her hand into Phillip’s. “No matter what your parents say or do, we’ve got each other. That’s all I need.” 

She leaned over and kissed him, and magically Phillip’s mood improved. Somehow Anne did that. His parents didn’t matter. They weren’t his family, the circus was his family, and he was exactly where he belonged.

“And I think I speak for all of us,” Anne said, pulling away. “When I say if your parents ever try something like that again, we’ll all murder them with a sledgehammer.” 

Phillip laughed. It felt wonderful to laugh. “Now darling, I’m sure there won’t be any reason for that,” he said. He hoped there wouldn’t be, at least. “I think you all scared them off for good, at least for a long time. It’s not like them to come again and again asking for the same thing. They’re used to getting what they want. They’ll want me to go back to them now, ask for their forgiveness, and that won’t happen. Although I admit I’d pay good money to see you murder them with a sledgehammer.”

“I think everyone here would,” agreed Phineas, smiling slightly. It was good to see Phillip’s mood improve. “But let’s not ruin the rest of the night with all this talk of murder. I was told there was going to be a celebration.”

“And so there will be,” Phillip said with a grin. “I’d hate to let my parents ruin the party.” 

“Last one to the bar buys drinks!” Lettie shouted. 

While the rest of the circus raced ahead, tripping over their own feet as they made sure they wouldn’t be the last, Phillip slowed down to walk besides Phineas and Charity. They could easily afford to buy drinks for everyone, and it would be nice to have a proper, quiet conversation. 

“I mean it,” Phillip said. “Thank you for what you did. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t intervened.” 

Phineas shook his head. “How many times have I told you, you don’t need to thank me for anything. And I wouldn’t have left you to deal with that all by yourself. Are you truly alright though? That could not have been easy to deal with. The way your father grabbed onto your arm made my heart stop.”

“Mine too,” He admitted. Phineas was right, it hadn’t been easy. “Right after, I’m not sure if I was alright or not, I was a little shaken.  
But now I think I am. And Charity, thanks for sticking up for me.” 

Charity echoed her husbands words. “Dear lord, Phillip, listen to Phin. You don’t need to thank me. Of course I would stand up for you. Do you think I would have left our boy to suffer on his own?” 

The simple ways in which they included him in their family made Phillip feel completely at home. He knew that no matter how much the Barnums claimed that it was no problem, he would always be in their debt for giving him a home and family when he needed one. 

“My parents were somewhat like yours,” Charity said simply. “Not nearly as  
horrible, but I still know how you feel.”

“My father was too, when he was drunk,” Phineas added. “But I didn’t have to deal with him for as long as you two did.” 

Phillip looked surprised, but then he guessed that most rich parents in their society probably had the same idea of what was right and what was wrong. “How did you deal with them?” he asked. Maybe it would be advice that he would be able to use in the future.

“You handled it extremely well, I think,” Charity said with a smile. “I was up front and direct in telling them what I wanted, like you were. You certainly didn’t mince words. You didn’t act afraid. That’s the best way we can handle them, show them that what they want isn’t always handed to them on a silver platter.” 

“I’d been thinking them for a long time,” Phillip admitted. “It felt good to finally say them out loud, and even better to see the looks on their faces.”

“It was pretty pathetic,” Phineas agreed with a laugh. 

“They looked like someone had run over them with a carriage,” Charity giggled. “But can you blame them? If someone looked at me the way the circus performers looked at your parents, I’d run away screaming. ” 

Phillip laughed too. “They make for a scary crowd, when they put their mind to it. I’m just glad we have a place to be ourselves now, and no one is trying to hurt us anymore.” The way he included himself in with the performers did not go unnoticed by anyone. 

“Me too,” Phineas said. “And I’m glad your parents know it now.” 

Phillip nodded. He had broken their hold over him once, when he had stood up to them at the theater, but now, he knew he was completely free. Of course, doubts still lingered in the darker corners of his mind, but he did not dwell on them for the moment. He just wanted to enjoy himself tonight. 

“Look!” W.D. exclaimed with glee once they reached the bar. “It’s the slowpokes who are buying us drinks!” 

Phillip scoffed. “I let you win and you know it,” he said. He waved at the bartender to bring them all a drink, save for the little ones of course. knowing that the man would take care of everyone. “Enjoy yourself, next time it’ll be you.” 

“In your dreams, Carlyle!” W.D. laughed. He walked next to Phillip and gave his shoulder a clap. He asked a silent question, and Phillip nodded. Behind all the banter and back-and-forth, W.D. just wanted to know if his friend was okay. 

Phillip knew he was going to get a lot of people asking him if he was alright after the evening’s showdown, he didn’t really mind. It felt good to be cared about. He settled down on one of the barstools, and picked up a drink of his own. 

Lettie slid onto the stool next to him, grabbing his drink from his hand. “Oh for me? Thanks.” She grinned at him before downing half of it. 

“No that wasn’t for you, go get your own.” Phillip laughed, swiping it back. “Thanks for what you did back there.” 

“It was no problem,” she said, putting an arm around him like she had at the circus. “Would’ve done it for anyone in our circus family. You needed the help, and your parents certainly shouldn’t have treated you like that.”

Phillip didn’t pull away from her this time. “Well, it’s over now,” he said, brushing off the encounter like it had been nothing big at all. “And I think we scared my parents off for good.” 

“That’s good,” she said. “I don’t think any of us ever want to see their faces again.”

“You’re right about that.” Anne had come up behind them. She slid one hand into Phillip’s and with the other took a sip of his drink. “Thaank you.” 

“Why is everyone taking my drink?” Phillip complained good-naturedly. “Didn’t we buy drinks for everyone so that everyone would have their own and didn’t need to steal mine?” 

“Now where’s the fun in that?” Anne replied, taking yet another sip. “Get used to it, darlin’, because this is going to be happening for as long as I’m around.” 

“So, forever,” Phillip made a big show of sighing, which made Anne laugh. “I suppose I’ll have to tolerate it.” 

“You don’t have much of a choice,” Anne agreed. “The sooner you get used to it, the better.”

Phillip rolled his eyes and pushed his drink towards her. “Have the whole thing if you want, I don’t care.” It was probably better for him not to drink anyway, it wasn’t easy to get rid of the habit.

“Look at that, he’s already learning,” Lettie laughed at them, getting up. “I’ll leave you lovebirds to chat.” 

Once Lettie was gone, Anne sat on her stool. “I know you’ve probably gotten this question a lot tonight, and W.D. reassures me that you seem fine, but I want to hear it from you. Are you alright, Phillip? Your parents…” 

“Are gone, and they won’t be coming back,” said Phillip firmly. “I’m fine, Anne. Yes, I’ll probably never get along with them, never really have, but I have better, more fun parents anyway. Who needs them?” He gestured in the direction of Phineas and Charity. “Phineas and Charity are the best parents I could ask for.”

Anne nodded slowly, but she still looked at him with concern. Phillip knew that she would need some more convincing that he truly was alright. 

“And, besides, Anne Wheeler,” he went on, leaning closer to her. “I have you. Even if I had nothing else in the world, I would be the happiest man alive.” 

She leaned over and kissed him, the eyes of the others occupied with other things, the ruckus and laughter tuned out. Phillip felt like the world narrowed in that moment, to just the two of them. It was the way he’d felt when he’d first laid eyes on her. It was the way he’d felt when he’d awoken from the fire, and seen Anne at his bedside. Nothing else had mattered, and it was the way Phillip wanted to feel forever. His parents would never understand that feeling. It was too good for them. The feeling of love, and acceptance, and belonging that Phillip now basked in when he came to the circus everyday and saw the smiles. 

This little family they had, it was perfect, and he didn’t need anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> In Case Y'all don't know: I have a tgs tumblr account where I post more fanfiction! and bad memes! So if you want y'all can go follow it the username is overlycompensatedapprentice because I'm not creative


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